New Delhi
Virus mutations are common and on expected lines - all viruses mutate. Many mutations are meaningless and they also disappear but some do not.
Some mutations of the Wuhan virus are more infectious than the original almost 70 per cent more.
Countries around the world are beginning to impose stricter lockdowns and tougher restrictions on travel. In Germany, fear and uncertainty is causing more trouble than the mutated virus and in Russia, the mutated strain has led to a revelation - Russia's death toll is 3 times higher than official data.
With 81 million cases and over 1.7 million deaths, what could be worse is that the Wuhan virus has been mutating and spreading to new territories and claiming more lives while leaving fear and uncertainty in its trail.
In Germany, the new Wuhan virus variant is said to have been discovered in November but it wasn't until Christmas that the first known case was reported. On Sunday, the country kicked off a mass vaccination program to allay public fears but, it got off to an inauspicious start as care home workers got an overdose. They received five times the recommended amount of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine. Four of them developed flu-like symptoms and ended up in the hospital.
The mishap has led to many German citizens raising doubts over vaccine side effects. In South Africa, the mutant strain is spreading like wildfire. It has led to a massive surge in cases. Last week, the country recorded a daily average of 11,700 infections which is a 39 per cent rise from the previous week.
South Africa has become the first country to register more than one million cases on the African continent with gatherings of more than 100 people banned. A night-time curfew has been put in place and there's a nationwide ban on alcohol sale.
"These additional measures are necessary to contain the resurgence that we are experiencing right now in Nelson Mandela bay to prevent outbreaks resulting from social gatherings and to protect the capacity of our health care system to provide care for those who need it," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said.
The South African strain has now crossed the Indian Ocean and entered Japan. It was brought by a woman in her 30s who arrived from South Africa on December 19. Meanwhile, Tokyo has reimposed tougher restrictions on travel. Foreign nationals must now get tested negative 72 hours before they arrive in Japan and they will have to quarantine for two weeks after travel.
In South Korea, the virus strain from Britain is wreaking havoc. The country has reported 40 new deaths which is a record daily toll since the pandemic began. Tougher restrictions have been imposed and tourist spots have been shut and testing ramped up.
Virus mutations have been reported in Russia as well Russia's death toll is three times higher than the official data. The country recorded nearly 229,700 deaths from all causes this year. Russia now admits 81 per cent of these deaths were due to the Wuhan virus which is more than 186,000 deaths.
Russia's current data of over 55,000 deaths stands nullified. Now it has the third-worst death toll globally. 2020 is ending, however, the pandemic is not. The Wuhan virus is still crossing the invisible bridge between people who are in close contact.
Our best defence is to close that bridge with masks, social distancing and lockdowns - if necessary.